Stories from Monday, April 10, 2017

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Sikeston boys track team finished second at the Jackson Invitational after placing in the top three nine times, including a top finish by Phayzun Fobbs. The Bulldogs finished with 110 points, 57 less than champion Kirkwood and 14 more that third-place Jackson. Dexter finished eighth and East Prairie took 11th out of 15 teams and 1,038 athletes the competed...

SIKESTON -- Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will hold a public town hall at at noon Wednesday at Three Rivers Community College. "I think it's important that I hold myself accountable to Missourians--and having public town halls, where any Missourian can show up and chew on me about what they think I'm doing right or wrong, and share their ideas and concerns, is a great way to do it," said McCaskill, who grew up in rural Missouri. ...

A "Back the Blue" Appreciation Dinner was held Saturday in Mississippi County. During the event, Lieutenant David "Biscuit" Watkins was presented with the Mississippi County First Responder of the Year Award and the Purple Heart award from the National Police Hall of Fame. The First Responder of the Year plaque will be displayed in the Mississippi County Courthouse...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Scott City Mayor Ron Cummins explained his veto of the city council's decision to pay former city administrator Ron Eskew for 11 unused vacation days during a council meeting Monday night. As mayor of a class-three city, Cummins had the authority to veto the decision, but in doing so, accused Eskew of lying to the council, adding new allegations to an already contentious employment dispute...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Not every college student would give up her spring break to spend time at a think tank, but one Southeast Missouri State student did, spending five days at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. Caitlin Woods is a junior at the regional campus in Kennett and was one of 30 Southeast students who participated in the seminar, discussing global issues in foreign policy, food security, global health and challenges in civil society...

A "Christ in the Passover" service held Sunday evening at Miner Baptist Church.

SIKESTON -- Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will hold a public town hall at at noon Wednesday at Three Rivers Community College. "I think it's important that I hold myself accountable to Missourians--and having public town halls, where any Missourian can show up and chew on me about what they think I'm doing right or wrong, and share their ideas and concerns, is a great way to do it," said McCaskill, who grew up in rural Missouri. ...

The Sikeston Public Library hosted their annual book sale last week, with the event starting Thursday and ending Sunday. On Sunday, the library had paper bags and allowed customers to fill each bag for only $1, and called it their "everything must go" sale. All profits from the book sale go to the library's book budget...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Ruth Ann Helmes, 65, died April 6, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 6, 1951, in East Prairie, she was the daughter of the late Russell "Pop" and Naomi Casey Parr. On Feb. 26, 1972, in East Prairie, she married Glen Allen Helmes, who survives of the home...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Coleman Daniel Jones, 27, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Friday, April 7, 2017, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, following a brief illness and surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Cape Girardeau, on Aug. 10, 1989, to Tony and Cindi Jones. ...

SIKESTON -- Dorothy Nell Morris, 82, died April 7, 2017, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. She was born April 4, 1935, in Arlington, Ky., to the late William and Alma Woodward Lindsey. Survivors include: three daughters and one son-in-law, Verna Kay and Phillip Wilson of Bell City, Dianna Thomure of New Madrid and Kimberly Morris of Morehouse; one sister, Edith Lough of Bertrand; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren...

SIKESTON -- Michael Keith Bess, 56, died April 7, 2017, at his home in Sikeston. He was born Sept. 11, 1960, in Sikeston, to the late A. Keith and Elizabeth Ross Bess. On Aug. 21, 1996, in Memphis, Tenn., he married Leslie Pace, who survives of the home...

SILVIS, Ill. -- Timmy Allen Ergle, 47, died April 8, 2017, at Silvis. Born April 28, 1970 in Rockford, he was the son of Billy W. and Tina D. Briggs Ergle of Newport Ritchie, Fla. Also surviving are two brothers, Greg and wife Robin Ergle of Lebanon and JeremyErgle of Rock Island...

CARYVILLE, Fla. -- Floyd H. "Buck" Presley, 71, died March 17, 2017, in Caryville. Born Nov. 23, 1945, he was the son of the late Calvin and Almeda Presley. Survivors include: one daughter, Tracy Presley; one sister Lou Ann; and three grandchildren, Erica Patterson, Aaron Presley and Ben Smith...

BERNIE, Mo. - Wayne Edward Waltrip, 82, died April 8, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born April 3, 1935, in Toledo, Ohio, son of the late Roy Thomas Waltrip and Edna Mae Griggs Waltrip, he had worked at Brown Shoe Company for 25 years and served as vice-president of Union Steward. Also he was one of the original board members of Bernie Park and was of Baptist belief...

DEXTER, Mo. - Daniel Ray Hicks, 57, died April 7, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Born on June 17, 1959, in Rockford, Ill., to the late Clois and Margaret Meier Hicks he was a retired janitor for several area hospitals and a member of Cape First Church in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Leslie Aaron Grigery, 59, died April 10, 2017, at his home in Sikeston. Born Dec. 9, 1957, in Chicago, to Robert and Louetta Presson Grigery of Sikeston, he was of the Pentecostal belief and had worked for Chelsea Electric Company and Charles Adam Painting and Drywall...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Richard M. Scheffer, 53, died at 12:46 p.m. April 9, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 23, 1963, to the late John Henry Scheffer Sr. and Rita M. Scheffer. He had lived in Mississippi County his entire life except when attending college. He was the co-owner and editor of the Mississippi County Times and Scheffer Printing and a member of St. Henry Catholic Church...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Connie Jo Dickerson, 63, died April 6, 2017, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born March 17, 1954, in East Prairie, to Colatha Hyde Marshall, who survives of East Prairie, and the late Billy Marshall, she was a retired teacher having taught at East Prairie High School for a number of years...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Dixie Kaye Allan, 74, formerly of New Madrid, Mo., died April 6, 2017. She was born on Nov. 28, 1942, in Cairo, Ill., to Vernon Mitchell Puckett and Frances Elizabeth Baynes Puckett. Her husband, Bruce Randolph Allan, preceded her in death...